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WASHINGTON 
A MODEL CITY 



LIEUT. COL. WILLIAM V. JUDSON 

Corps Engineers, United States Army, 

Engineer Commissioner 

District of Columbia 



ADDRESS 

to the American Civic Association 
at its Seventh Annual Meeting 

Washington, D. C. 
December 13, 14 and 15. 1911 



Published by 

American Civic Association 

Washington, D. C. 

April. 1912 



OFFICERS 

OF THE 

AMERICAN CIVIC ASSOCIATION 



PRESIDENT 

J. HORACE McFARLAND. Harrisburg Pa! 

VICE-PRESIDENTS 

■ JOHN NOLEN. Cambridge. Mass: 

CLINTON ROGERS WOODRUFF. Philadelphia. Pa. 

GEORGE B. DEALEY, Dallas, Texas 

J. L. HUDSON, -Detroit. Mich. 

Mrs. EDWARD W. BIDDLE. Carlisle, Pa. 

GEORGE W. MARSTON, San Diego, Cal. 

J. LOGKIE WILSON. Toronto, Canada 

SECRETARY 

RICHARD B. WATROUS, Washington. D. C. 

TREASURER 

WILLIAM B. HOWLAND, New York City 



General Offices 

914 UNION TRUST BUILDING 

Washington, D. C. 




WASHINGTON, A MODEL CITY 

PEAKING as an American citizen 
and not as a District Commissioner. 
I claim that the working 'out of 
mmiicipal problems here, so that the 
other cities might come to Washington for 
tried and satisfactory practices, would amply 
repay the country at large, nearly one-half of 
whose inhabitants are urban dwellers, for all 
of its local expenditures. • 

The only way, or certainly the most direct 
and feasible way, in which the nation can help 
cities is to provide for the most scientific man- 
agement of its own city, the national capital, 
and make available for other cities the knowl- 
edge thus obtained. 

In the^rst place, we must realize that the 
proper exercise of city functions means vastly 
more to the average urban dweller, than does 
the proper exercise of state or national 
functions. 

Awakening from sleep in a house which has 
been safely built, with due provision of light 
and air, under the city's inspection and pro- 
tected from fire and burglary by the city, he 
bathes from a spring of clear and limpid water, 
of which the city provides several, under thor- 
ough control, issuing from metal pipes at con- 
venient spots within his domicile. He eats a 
breakfast the component parts of which the 
citv has assured him have been correctlv meas- 



ured out and arc of a healthful character. His 
meal he washes down with pure and filtered 
city water. The debris from his meal is re- 
moved bj' the city before it can become nau- 
seous and unsanitary. And the other waste 
products of his domestic economy are removed 
by the sewer, the ashman or the rubbish col- 
lector — all provided by the city. Starting the 
children off to a school built and operated by 
the city, he emerges upon a street which, with 
its sidewalks, curbs, parkings, lamp-posts, 
trees and paved surfaces, is provided and 
cleaned by the city. Traversing this street 
safelj'-, under the guardianship of proper city 
traffic regulations, and crossing a park owned 
and beautified by the city, he catches a breath 
of air which the city says shall be free from 
smoke. He enters a street car which the city 
requires shall be comfortable, sanitary and 
operated upon a convenient schedule. As- 
cending by means of an elevator inspected by 
the city to an office in a building whose height 
is limited and whose structural safety is as- 
sured by the city, if it be a dark day, he turns 
on the electric light or gas, the character and 
price of which are controlled in his interest 
by the city. Seizing the telephone which the 
city demands shall operate for him con- 
veniently and at reasonable cost, he calls up 
some city official and berates him because he 
has not continued to enjoy some special favor 
at the hands of the tax assessor. Hanging up 
his telephone, before proceeding to the busi- 
ness of the day, he indites a few lines asking 
that a city job be given to his good friend 
Tones, whose incompetence and habit of drink 



have deprived him of other sustenance, and 
accepts an invitation to attend a mass meeting 
to protest against the enormity of requiring 
him to pay some portion of what it costs, to 
wit, one-fifth of a cent, for a barrel of filtered 
city water, conveniently delivered to him in 
his residence. 

I think you will all admit, 'on reflection, that 
it is exceedingly important to nearly 50,000,000 
Americans how all city functions are per- 
formed and what they cost. I hope I have led 
you to believe that it is not a far-fetched idea 
that America should have a model city. And 
perhaps even if I had not suggested it the 
thought would have come into your minds that 
\\'ashington should be that model city. 

In therapeutical experiments the guinea pig 
serves the purposes of the experimenter and 
speedily becomes a martyr to science. I do not 
mean to suggest that Washington should be one 
or any number of guinea pigs. I would rather 
liken my ideal of Washington as a model 
city to a great demonstrating farm, where, 
under the most favorable conditions and under 
the guidance of experts, results are secured 
so nearly, approaching perfection as to encour- 
age others, set a standard for them and de- 
monstrate the best methods. 

We often hear that a city is a great business 
institution, but most of those who make the 
remark have no real comprehension of the 
meaning of their words. They probably mean 
to liken it to a great mercantile business, and 
would thus indicate that a successful merchant 
would make an efficient city administrator. 
Nothing could be further from the truth. 



When wc say that the operation of a railroad 
system is in itself a great business, we mean 
that it is a business not only great in magni- 
tude, but also special in character. 

Steel men run steel plants. Railroad men 
run railroads. Any plausible good-natured 
fellow is considered competent to run a city. 
The skill demanded is in the line of vote- 
getting — not city management. 

First we must realize what city management 
demands and then, in the case of cities other 
than Washington, we must study how to 
secure it under our political system. 

Right here I may as well admit that we prob- 
ably cannot solve the whole problem here in 
Washington. I mean that part of the problem 
that is political. But here can be shown what 
is the proper organization of personnel ; what 
qualities the personnel should possess; how 
best it can be recruited and retained at a maxi- 
mum of efficiency; how most wisely and most 
fairl}'^ the public purse may be filled; what 
functions the city should undertake ; what is 
the proper degree of perfection to be sought 
in the performance of each city function, so 
that some may not thrive unduly at the ex- 
pense oi others; what is the best practical 
method of doing each of the almost innumer- 
able things that the city is called upon to do ; 
or, to state it in another way, here can be de- 
monstrated how the average citizen can get 
the maximum of comfort, convenience, safety 
and pleasure for each dollar expended by him 
collectively with his fellow citizens through 
the agency of the municipality. 

Surely, if there is knowledge of all the facts 



our people will have the political wisdom to 
take advantage of that knowledge. 

Far be it from me, who have never enjoyed 
the franchise, nor as an official experienced 
the encouraging or chastening effects of it, to 
attempt to point out with any large degree of 
authority how "the political control of the 
people over their cities can best be exercised; 
but some things with reference to the per- 
sonnel of a city government I do know. 
Never should a man be at the head of a city 
department who is not an expert in its con- 
duct and reasonably certain in the tenure of 
his office, so that he may have the courage to 
say "no" to each one who wishes some yielding 
from the public interest in his own behalf. I 
am afraid that the first feeling of the average 
citizen, when he learns that a friend has been 
inducted into a city office, is that he may now 
■experience preferential treatment. And if he 
does not, friendship ceases. 

It was a wise ruler of Athens who, before 
he took office, gave a farewell dinner to all 
of his friends. 

If I am right about this, then those selected 
by the electorate should not be charged with 
duties that can fairly be placed upon heads of 
departments. The principal duty of those 
elected, it seems to me, should be, when an 
important vacancy occurs, to scour the whole 
country for an expert who could probably 
devote the rest of his working days to the 
intelligent direction of some city function. 
Honesty, intelligence, training, industry, pa- 
tience and the habit of absolute impartiality 
should be united in the individual selected. 



No other consideration, political, social or per- 
sonal, should be of the least weight. Heads 
of departments should have much to say about 
the selection of their subordinates, a merit 
system, of course, being absolutely preserved. 
Every subordinate employe should, so far as 
practicable, possess qualities which, with the 
acquisition of judgment and knowledge that 
come from experience, would fit him for pro- 
motion to the top of his department. 

I may say that for the public works of the 
District of Columbia we are following exactly 
the procedure outlined above in the selection 
of employes. 

The remaining duties of those elected in the 
ordinary city would be to secure coordination 
between departments, to restrain departments 
Avhich would seek unreasonably to prosper at 
the expense of other departments, and to rep- 
resent, through the platforms upon which they 
have successfully campaigned, the broad 
policies desired by the electorate. 

These functions being of such a general na- 
ture, it seems to me that there should be as 
few as possible directly responsible to the 
people. And the fewer there be, the less will 
each have time to do the work that should be 
left to the expert heads of departments. 

For the reasons stated a commission 'of 
three, without the assignment of special func- 
tions to each, would seem to constitute an 
ideal elective governing body, as it has con- 
stituted a good appointive body here in the 
District of Columbia. 

I feel better qualified to speak of the physi- 
cal than of the moral side of city growth and 



8 



maintenance. It is much easier to agree upon 
physical than upon moral or sociological ends 
and aims. We seem not to know exactly how 
to solve the problem of the social evil ; or of 
the saloon; or of poverty. Let us pass 
them by. 

The matters that follow we can agree upon, 
and they comprehend the city problems that 
are of a material nature. 

All physical operations within a city cost 
money. We may classify all physical opera- 
tions in accordance with the source of the 
funds which sustain them. A reasonable classi- 
fication of the funds would be as follows : 

(1) Those supplied by the utility corpo- 

rations. 

(2) Those raised as taxes. 

(3) Private capital. 

The privately owned public utilities, not less 
than those publicly owned, must be built and 
operated, speaking in the broadest sense, abso- 
lutely in the public interest. To the citizen 
this means cheap and satisfactory service. To 
the stockholder and the bond owner it means 
perfect security. A city cannot be well served 
by public utility corporations that are not 
financially sound and virile. The public utility 
commission is therefore a necessity and inci- 
dentally, although but partially, it controls cer- 
tain expenditures within the city. 

Funds raised by taxation, public funds of 
course, are expended by the agents of the 
pul)lic. As much as possible that part of these 
funds devoted to permanent improvements 
should be expended in accordance with definite 
pin-poses and well considered program. Hence 



the necessity for city planning and for sound 
finance. Debt isn't such a good thing as it 
seems. It is better to economize on those ex- 
penditures that leave nothing at the end of the 
year and raise as much as possible b}^ current 
levies. Then there w\\\ soon be money to put 
in improvements that would otherwise be ex- 
pended for interest. 

To what extent and with what good result 
can private expenditures in city building be 
controlled in America? If "excess condemna- 
tion" be made practicable, through changes in 
organic laws, doubtless great sections of cities 
can be made to grow as the public would de- 
sire. Much could be done, careful study con- 
vinces me, if in our cities it were by law made 
practicable and desirable for property owners, 
in limited sections or on certain streets, to 
dedicate easements to the public by virtue of 
which building operations in those localities 
might be controlled through special building 
restrictions, administered by competent com- 
missions. The public and the private interests 
in this matter for the most part run parallel. 
All that is necessary is the provision of a cer- 
tain legal method of procedure. 

We have bills before Congress for the con- 
trol of our public utilities ; for the orderly and 
systematic prosecution of the required great 
public improvements in accordance with defi- 
nite plans and a well considered program ; and 
for the establishment, practically based on con- 
sents, of special building restrictions. 

The passage of these bills is essential if the 
capital city is to attain in its development that 
measure of perfection which is bounded only 



10 



by existing conditions and the limitations of 
human forethought. I ask your Association 
to make Washington often a subject of your 
consideration. 

Help us secure our needed legislation. 

] hope I have shown that you have a very 
practical interest in all that is done here. I 
assume that your sentimental interest in the 
capital of the nation does not need cultivation. 
It has already induced you to establish your 
headquarters here. And just as there flow out 
from \\'ashington to the uttermost parts of 
our country continual streams of law and 
executive direction that pTOt'^ct and foster the 
interests of the people, so do I hoy^ ihzt ^^^ 
influence of your Association will reach out 
from Washington and help every community 
in the Republic. 



M8EATS I 



ri WASHIMSTOM 

y 5 83 




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